Wacky Grandma, Wacky Cake

My great grandmother was a product of the Depression. She never left a restaurant without a purse full of sugar packets and Smucker’s jam. Even loose buttons were carefully tucked away for future use. As a child her frugality was horrifying (I was knee-deep in the excess of the 80s), but looking back I have nothing but respect for her resourcefulness. Waste not, want not—simple as that. She was a tough lady that took ketchup packets from the Arby’s and didn’t apologize. But it wasn’t all ketchup pilfering and button hoarding, there were lots of silver linings to her Depression era sensibilities; one in particular was the Wacky cake.

The Wacky cake is something I think just about every grandma and church lady in the mid-western to southern united states can whip up in nothing flat. Maybe you recognize it by another name; the Three-Hole Cake or the Depression Cake. At a time when butter and eggs were scarce or far too expensive, these ingenious women (and maybe even a few men) found a way to make their cakes rise. The solution was simple: baking soda and vinegar — an explosive combination, handy for third grade volcanic science projects and bringing a beautiful rise to a cake batter, sans eggs. It very well may be the original vegan cake. This decades-old recipe is simple, light, spongy and not too sweet. Although, truth be told I’m always up for adding a few handfuls of chocolate chips to the mix. Never hurts. Oh and dust with a little powdered sugar just before serving (check your health food store for powdered evaporated cane juice, they should have it). So channel your inner grandma this week and bake yourself a wacky cake.

Wacky Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar or evaporated cane juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup water

Cooking Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8 or 9-inch square pan.

In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar. Make three holes in the dry ingredients, one large and two small.

Add the vanilla to the first small hole, the vinegar to the second and the oil to the large hole. Then pour the water over everything and stir to combine.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack, then cut and serve.

Keep at room temperature, wrapped airtight, for up to 3 days; refrigerate after that.

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8 or 9-inch square pan.

In a large mixing bowl mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar. Make three holes in the dry ingredients, one large and two small.

Add the vanilla to the first small hole, the vinegar to the second and the oil to the large hole. Then pour the water over everything and stir to combine.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack, then cut and serve.

Keep at room temperature, wrapped airtight, for up to 3 days; refrigerate after that.

Easy Vegan Meal Plans!

Everything you need to make eating a plant-based diet a breeze.

Reader Interactions

Comments

This cake was amazing, so moist and delicious, My little guy (23 months) is lactose intolerant so we have been looking for a cake just like this for him. He LOVED it as did my other 4 kids. We have decided to switch from vegetarian to vegan for a variety of reasons and love the site thus far.